music

In China, Live Music Gigs Are Sparking a Street Stall Renaissance

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

With live events in China on the rise again, makeshift stalls outside venues are growing more popular. Recognizing the trend, local governments are now easing regulations to support them.

Zhu Junxi

The Chinese Musicians Making Melodies Out of Nothing — and Everything

China’s latest social media challenge has creators fashioning instruments out of everything from carrots to screwdrivers.

Yang Caini

Famous Taiwan Rapper Admits Plagiarizing Comic About Depression 

The 2004 comic “Jumping Off a Building” depicts a suicidal woman witnessing the sad lives of her neighbors as she falls to her death. MC HotDog, a famous Taiwanese rapper, has just admitted using the storyline in his new song without authorization.

Ye Zhanhang

Jiang Zuer

What Exactly Is the ‘Dongbei Renaissance’?

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Four commentators on how — and why — the country’s northeastern rust belt reached the forefront of Chinese pop culture.

Wu Haiyun

Three Books (and One Band) That Explain Northeast China

Want to know more about northeast China’s cultural revival? Start here.

Troubled Singing Reality Show Accused of Mistreating Coco Lee

“The Voice of China” has seen ratings suffer in recent years due to a backlash over its rules and advertisements.

Ding Rui

Rock and Rivals: Two Cities Duel for China’s Music Capital Crown

For Shijiazhuang and Xinxiang, the race to become China’s rock music capital is more than just a title; through social media and viral campaigns, they hope to boost tourism.

Vincent Chow

He Qitong

Popstar Jay Chou’s Fans Fume as Scalpers Cash in on Concert Hype

Tickets for the Taiwanese singer’s shows are being resold online for a staggering 150,000 yuan ($21,000), sparking outrage on social media.

China’s Livehouse Music Scene Struggles to Ride Post-Pandemic Wave 

Demand for live shows has exploded following the loosening of pandemic restrictions, but fierce competition from music festivals and increased costs mean that smaller acts are finding it difficult to afford livehouse shows.

The Forgotten Story of China’s First Orchestra

In the mid-19th century, a French Jesuit formed modern China’s first Western orchestra. A recent book and museum exhibit tell his story.

Zhang Xiaoyi

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ is Here — in Chinese 

The first-ever Chinese-language production of the legendary musical was always going to find it difficult to impress diehard Chinese musical fans. But the translation has largely been a success.

Fan Yiying

The Underground Bands Playing Out China’s Hit TV Show

China’s biggest television drama has an unusual soundtrack of obscure bands and moody experimental music — and fans are obsessed.

China’s Dejected Youth Find a New Anti-Hero: a ‘Trashy’ Wannabe Rapper

Your questions, answered. In-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China.

Q & A

Aspiring hip-hop star Big Sponge has few fans, fewer friends, and so little money that he has to collect recycling waste to make some extra cash. But his story — captured in the award-winning film “Trashy Boy” — has resonated with disaffected young Chinese.

Yuan Ye

KTV Operator Fined for Offering Songs by ‘Tainted Artist’ Kris Wu 

The Chinese-Canadian pop star was tried for an alleged rape at a Beijing court in June.

Luo Meihan

How a Choir of Miao Farmers Became a Viral Hit

The Xiaoshuijing Miao Farmer Choir has found success online, but viral fame comes with its own risks.

Yang Yalun

Shanghai Orchestra Fuses Folk Music With Contemporary Sounds

The second season of the traditional Chinese music concert will run through early September.

Trove of Discarded Cassette Tapes Brings Back a Lost Shanghai

Musician Philip Hsu has amassed a huge collection of mixtapes recorded by ordinary Shanghainese during the late 20th century. They offer a unique window into an era of dizzying change.

Philip Hsu

Did ‘God Songs’ Kill China’s God of Rock?

Quick, catchy, and inane, short video-optimized “god songs” have taken over Chinese music. Does anyone still have the patience for an old-school album?

Cai Yineng

Jay Chou Professes His Love for Art in New Music Video

Many Chinese art lovers say the Taiwanese singer helped develop their interest in Western art and culture through his music.

Wu Peiyue

TV Show’s ‘Positive’ Spin on Hit Lyric Draws Rebuke From Singer 

Zheng Zhihua said he is infuriated to see the changes made to his 1992 hit “Star Lighting” without authorization.